Here is a little bit about me...
All my life I’ve been a late bloomer; in everything. So film still photography couldn’t be an exception.
I graduated with an MFA in Filmmaking in 2011 after realizing —late, as one should— that working in the pharmaceutical industry was not for me. Because of my acquired skills in the marketing department of a big pharma company, I landed naturally on the production side of the film industry: Producer, Assistant Director (first and second), Production Secretary, … But in this side of the film-making process I wasn’t developing my creativity as I was expecting, so I switched my focus into something else.
As a filmmaker I wanted to develop my own projects, but getting a movie off the ground, as you know, is a pilgrimage through many stages, most of which imply waiting. In those times of wait, together with some friends, I started a publishing house that focuses on cinema and the literature that surrounds the film-making process.
What initially was just a film buff publishing film books, developed into a discovery of a very creative field in the making of a movie: film stills. As I was selecting images to illustrate the wonderful texts about John Ford written by Peter Bogdanovich, I was falling in love with the images captured by photographers like Denis Cameron and John R.Hamilton.
Submerging myself into the process of researching images for subsequent books, I realized that I could see myself developing that craft. I had always enjoyed taking pictures and bothered everyone in the process: In every family or friends gathering (or trip) I would always show up with my camera to try to capture those precious memories that live forever. (If you have a camera, you know that you always get an eye roll when people see that you will be taking pictures but they always end up begging for a copy).
So why not do this on a film set? It seemed natural to me to follow that path. Did I know everything there was to know for me to be able to jump into a film set?
Back in the days, people would ask God for answers but nowadays answers are —almost always— on the internet. And my answers came in the form of Nicola Dove, an amazing still photographer (check out her work and be blown away) and a natural born teacher. So after completing the Fast-track course of her Film Stills Academy, I found myself ready to jump into a film set to capture those special moments that define a movie.
My gear
Cameras: Sony a9ii & Sony a7iii
Lenses:
- Sony FE 24-70 mm F2.8 GM
- Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8 Di III RXD
- Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 Di III VXD
Qualifications
Master in Fine Arts: Filmmaking (New York Film Academy, 2011)
Film Stills Academy: Fast-track course (2020)
Here is a link to my IMDb